Cheryl Cole may have put her 'annus horribilis' behind her, but Jonathan Ross decided to bring up some of her painful memories of 2010 at the British Comedy Awards.

The talk show host poked fun at the singer by referring to the 'Gamugate' X Factor scandal and her divorce from Ashley Cole as he hosted the ceremony on Saturday night.

Ross - who has interviewed Cole several times on his seminal BBC talk show - questioned whether the Girls Aloud star had a issue with race.

He said: 'What’s going on with Cheryl Cole’s complex relationship with the black community?

'It’s like she’s playing the world’s longest game of slap, marry, deport.'

Last year, Cole saw her 'nation's sweetheart' mantle slip when she was embroiled in a race row over her decision to reject Zimbabwe-born Gamu Nhengu for the X Factor live show.

Heartbreak: Cheryl with ex-husband Ashley Cole in 2009 before their split and subsequent divorce

At Gamu's expense, she put through controversial contestants Katie Waissel and Cher Lloyd - who both fluffed their auditions at the judges' houses.

At Gamu's reject, it later emerged she was facing deportation from the UK.However, Cole insisted Gamu's immigration status or skin colour had nothing to do with her decision to not put the singer through.

'Gamugate' wasn't the first time the singer was accused of racism - she was infamously convicted of assaulting black nightclub toilet attendant Sophie Amogbokpa in 2003.

She was found guilty of assault occasioning actual bodily harm, but cleared of racially aggravated assault and was ordered to complete 120 hours of unpaid community service.

Racial issues: Cole was accused of racism when she declined to put through Gamu Nhengu (left) on last year's X Factor and pictured right during her court case for assault in 2003

The singer punched Amogbokpa in the face as the latter tried to stop Cole taking some lollipops from the toilets of The Drink nightclub in Guildford, Surrey.

Cole - then known by her maiden name Tweedy - claimed she acted in self-defence, but was criticised by the judge for showing no remorse over the attack.

He said: 'Simon Cowell’s just celebrated a landmark birthday, 50 not out. Or is that a rumour?'

In defence of his jokes, Ross said: 'Those I thought might be contentious I ran past the people involved to get the thumbs up.

'As for the jokes about Cheryl and Simon, I was talking about Cheryl’s past and it was an observation, and Simon’s was a well-meaning one and I know him well enough to know that he won’t have a problem with it.'

Ross hosted the British Comedy Awards live on Channel 4 on Saturday night from the Indigo venue at the O2 Arena in London.